Race Report - Wissey Half Marathon

Sara Penketh 05/09/2017

Report on Wissey Half 03/09/2017

Wissey is a small and very friendly half marathon organised by Ryston Runners. The race starts and finishes in the Norfolk village of Oxborough. Start time is 10:30, so at 1 hour 10 minutes driving time from Peterborough it doesn't involve a really early start. The village is very picturesque and is home to Oxburgh Hall, a National Trust property, which if running 13.1 miles isn't enough to fill your Sunday would make for a pleasant afternoon distraction.

Race HQ is in the village hall with ample car parking in the adjoining field. There is no bag storage, but that isn't a problem as you can safely leave your belongings in the hall. A good supply of tasty snacks and cakes plus hot and cold drinks are available to purchase throughout the day.

The race start is a few minutes walk from the HQ down quite a narrow lane. The race is chip timed. In addition, runners are organised into predicted finish time to minimize any jostling for position in the narrow lane. The course takes an anti-clockwise route through pretty villages to the northwest of Oxborough. Most notable is Boughton with its idyllic duck pond in the middle of the green. The course is well marshalled and is mostly on virtually traffic-free lanes. However when cars do pass by you are almost forced on to the grass verge as there is little space. The camber can also be a bit awkward in places but that's a minor complaint.

The course is advertised as "fast and flat". I would rate it as "mildly undulating" as the long inclines between 6-7 and 8-9 miles were quite taxing.

There is no t-shirt or medal to reward you for finishing. Instead you receive a commemorative glass which you can take to be filled with a taster of local beer. That's a great incentive to push for a PB to make sure the barrel doesn't run dry!